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Armstrong Magazine Fall 2014

Marketing & Communications Department, Armstrong State University

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This magazine is brought to you for free and open access by the Armstrong News & Featured Publications at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in Armstrong Magazine by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A MAGAZINE OF ARMSTRONG STATE UNIVERSITY

Armstronfall 2014 g

International

STUDENTS FROM 71 COUNTRIES ENRICH LIFE ON CAMPUS PG. 6

PRESIDENT’S REPORT & Report to Donors A Special Supplement pg. 15 what’s inside campus news 3 international students 6 EDITOR faculty profles 10 Allison Hersh green zone 12 DesignerS alumni awards 14 Stacy Claywell president’s report 15 Joan Lehon ‘92 donor’s report 19 Michael Lowe alumni profles 30 Principal photographer class notes 32 Katherine Arntzen

armstrong fashback 35 copy editor Karen Cooper ’11

Contributing Writers Rachael Flora Jessica Leigh Lebos Brittany McClure

Armstrong magazine is produced by Marketing & Communications, with support from the Armstrong State University Foundation.

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About the cover Clara Perez Marcos, a Spanish tennis player, is part of the university’s community of international students. Cover photography by Katherine Arntzen. 2 | armstrong.edu campus news

New Degree Programs in Business Economics, Biochemistry

In the fall 2014 semester, Armstrong launched two new undergraduate degree programs in business economics and biochemistry. Both programs were approved by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents in response to growing student demand. Armstrong’s B.S. in Business Economics emphasizes workforce development frmly informed by a liberal arts education and provides an opportunity for students to gain practical business skills and develop complex practical reasoning. This degree prepares graduates for a knowledge-based economy that relies on creativity and critical thinking, while providing the quantitative skills essential for the analysis of business problems. The B.S. in Biochemistry at Armstrong provides a solid academic foundation, serving as a bridge between Chemistry and Biology and exploring the chemical side of biological processes. The degree appeals to students interested in attending medical, dental, veterinary, pharmacy or optometry schools and offers a wide range of career opportunities. name Change

Armstrong State University offcially rolled out its new name on July 1, offering free Leopold’s ice cream in Compass Plaza to students, faculty and staff to celebrate the name change. The university received approval from the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents on April 16 to drop the word “Atlantic” from “Armstrong Atlantic State University.” The more streamlined name will help minimize confusion and create a stronger brand for Armstrong. The Board of Regents added “Atlantic” to the university’s name in 1996 in an effort to give Armstrong a geographic identifer. “Today is a great day for Armstrong State University,” said Armstrong President Linda M. Bleicken. “The Armstrong name has always been part of our tradition of excellence. We appreciate the support of our faculty, staff, students, alumni and community leaders as we continue to enhance student success.”

Armstrong Liberty Center Groundbreaking

Armstrong State University and the City of Hinesville hosted a groundbreaking for the new Armstrong Liberty Center in Hinesville on Sept. 10. The event included remarks by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank M. Huckaby. The 21,000-square-foot building will more than double the size of the facility currently located in leased commercial space in a local strip shopping center. The new facility, which will open to students in the fall of 2015, will include classrooms, science laboratories, faculty/staff offces, common areas, student services and support areas. The building’s design will be sensitive to the aesthetic fabric of the existing community and will complement the existing downtown streetscape.

FALL 2014 | 3 campus news

Paint the Town Maroon With alumni On April 3, Armstrong hosted the ultimate pep rally in downtown working in Savannah. Paint the Town Maroon, a citywide celebration of Pirate every feld, from pride, took place in Johnson Square, with The Savannah Bank (now South State Bank) serving as the presenting sponsor for this education to high-energy event. healthcare, Armstrong alumni, students, faculty, staff and supporters joined Armstrong makes a local business leaders to celebrate the university’s 2013-2014 fundraising successes and to underscore how critical Armstrong is positive difference in our community. every day and Mark your calendar for the 2015 Paint the Town event, which will be held on March 27. To learn more about how you can get helps students involved, please contact Armstrong’s Offce of Advancement at Start Strong. 912.344.2870 or visit www.paintthetownmaroon.com.

Thank you To our sponsors!

prEsEnTED By GoLD sponsors Dr. and Mrs. John Duttenhaver

sILVEr sponsors BronZE CoMMunITy sponsors sponsors Laura Barrett and Ed Maietta Dr. Joyce and Dr. James Bergin eopold s LICE CREAM’ Mary Burnett Since 1919 Ed and Gail Davis Kathy and Drew Ernst CogdellMendralaArchitects Reinhold and Julie Gerbsch Molly and Arthur Gignilliat Linda and Amy Heaston Carl Bleicken Bill Kelso Georj Lewis Mercer Williams House Museum and Shop Jordan & National Offce Systems Pamela L. O’Quinn Mamalakis Oil Carter and Mildred Samples Distributors, Inc. Sandy Streater

4 | armstrong.edu kudos

Armstrong Professors Get NEH Fellowships, NSF Grants Ella Howard, Ph.D., an associate professor of history, received a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) fellowship to attend the Doing Digital History summer institute at George Mason University’s Roy Rosenzweig Center for History in New Media in August. She was one of 25 historians selected from across the United States to attend this special workshop, which showcased new media methods and tools. In addition, assistant professor of geography Amy Potter, Ph.D., secured a $50,000 National Science Foundation Grant to fund research focusing on historic Southern plantation culture. The study will compare three major plantation regions, including the Lowcountry area of coastal Georgia and South Carolina, the James River region in Virginia and the River Road District in southern Louisiana. The three-year research project will enable Potter and an Armstrong student to travel to various historic sites to participate in feldwork and data collection.

Donna Brooks Promoted to Associate Provost Donna Brooks has been promoted to associate provost for academic affairs and graduate studies. In her new position, she chairs the Institutional Review Board and provides oversight to graduate studies and to the offces of Grants and Sponsored Programs, Assessment, Online and Blended Learning, Institutional Research, Faculty Development and Faculty Information. Brooks has a long history of excellence at Armstrong. Her experience dates back to 1995, when she began teaching speech-language pathology in the department of special education. She was named the department head of Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2006. Most recently, she served as the assistant dean of the College of Health Professions for fve years.

Amy Zieziula Hired As New Assistant Dean of Student Integrity Amy Zieziula recently joined Armstrong as assistant dean of student integrity. In her new position, she is responsible for upholding the university’s Honor Code and Code of Conduct and providing educational outreach regarding civility on college campuses. Before joining Armstrong, Zieziula worked as the coordinator for student conduct at Georgia Southern University for three years, where she served as a conduct offcer and resolved honor violations. She also served as the interim associate dean for student conduct and implemented the Institutional Effectiveness Plan for Georgia Southern University’s Offce of Student Conduct.

New Faculty Books Elizabeth Desnoyers-Colas, Ph.D., associate professor of Communication and African American Studies, recently published Marching as to War: Personal Narratives of African American Women’s Experiences in the Gulf Wars (University Press of America). Desnoyers-Colas explores the key role African American servicewomen played during recent U.S. wars in the Middle East.

Lesley Roessing, director of the Coastal Savannah Writing Project, has published Bridging the Gap: Reading Critically & Writing Meaningfully to Get to the Core (Rowman & Littlefeld Education). Designed to offer a bridge between fction and nonfction, this book focuses on memoir writing, which can serve as “way in” to literacy for adolescents.

FALL 2014 | 5 International

BY JESSICA LEIGH LEBOS

6 | armstrong.edu rmstrong State University attracts A students from 71 countries around the world, providing a warm, welcoming environment that supports success, rewards hard work and celebrates diversity. Please meet a few of our stellar international students, who contribute to the rich cultural experience at Armstrong.

Rowaida Quotah Saudi Arabia Respiratory Therapy Class of 2015 “Armstrong supports its students in many Some students who come to Armstrong fnd the hot summers a ways,” Rowaida says of the administrative bit challenging. staff. “They all work hard and are pleased Not Rowaida Quotah, who hails from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where the 120+ temperatures make Savannah seem like a breezy to provide anything that can help the oasis. While the humidity levels may be a bit lower in the desert international students and make them feel near the Persian Gulf, she says the climate feels pretty close to home. comfortable and welcome.” Still, adjusting to life in the American South has had its challenges. She keeps busy with her studies but found time to participate “Saudi culture is very different from American culture,” in Armstrong’s international food festival earlier this year, where explains Rowaida. “What I miss most is the food and family she cooked a few traditional halal dishes for her fellow students. gatherings. I faced some problems with the language at frst “That was one of the most unique experiences I’ve had,” because I am not used to communicating in English, but I am Rowaida says. “I enjoyed presenting Saudi food and tasting much better now.” different countries’ food.” She sought out Armstrong for the university’s reputation as While almost everything but the weather has taken some one of the strongest respiratory therapy programs in the world. getting used to, Rowaida says she has enjoyed her campus Though laser-focused on her major, she has found the compre- experience and would recommend Armstrong to anyone in the hensiveness of the rest of her credit requirements fascinating. world seeking a quality education.

FALL 2014 | 7 Thomas Kavoori India Economics with IT Certifcate Class of 2015

When Thomas Kavoori moved from his hometown of Hyderabad in South India’s Andhra Pradesh region to Savannah, he imagined skyscrapers and bustling city streets. “When I frst came to the United States, I assumed that every single place would look like New York, with people and buildings,” he laughs. “I kept telling my friends that I had come to the ‘boring’ part of America. Now I like it here. It’s relaxed, beautiful and the people are great.” Hyderabad is also a center for medical, accounting and computer careers, and growing up there infuenced Thomas’s interest in economics and information technology. His mother was already in Savannah teaching in the public schools, and he took her colleagues’ advice to enroll at Armstrong. His frst foray into economics intimidated him, but department chair Yassaman Saadatmand encouraged him to stick with the challenging coursework. “One day, Saadatmand walked into the classroom and said, ‘I don’t care how smart you are. What I really care about is your hard work!’ That had a big impact on me,” he recalls. “After hearing what she had to say, I pushed myself to understand the concepts and, after a while, I fell in love with the subject. I got an ‘A’ in Economics classes after that.” Thomas calls Armstrong “very conducive to social health” and has found a sense of belonging in the Baptist Collegiate Ministries, where he spends time with students of faith from all over the world and volunteers his time. After graduation, Thomas plans to work for a large company like Microsoft or to pursue a career in academia. Either way, he wants to pick up a Ph.D. in Economics along “I went from ‘immigrant introvert Indian the way. Though life might be more bustling in India, he student’ to an organizational leader within says he couldn’t be happier with the quality of his Armstrong experience. a few years,” Thomas says. “It’s been a Invoking an all-important term he’s learned in his wonderful experience!” economics classes, he calls Armstrong “a good return on investment.”

8 | armstrong.edu Michelle Burghardt Germany Economics Class of 2015

Michelle Burghardt — an Honors Program student who originally hails from Coesfeld, Germany — loves the fact that she’s not just a number at Armstrong. This Economics major is impressed that professors know her by name and are genuinely interested in helping her achieve her goals. “Armstrong’s professors are so accessible to students and always willing to help if you show them that you want to do your part and don’t expect to have everything served to you on a silver platter,” she says. “At Armstrong, professors are actually concerned with how we are doing, what we want to achieve in life and how they can help us achieve those goals. It’s great to feel that they truly care about you.” Clara Perez Marcos Since enrolling at Armstrong, Michelle has landed prestigious internships — and golden networking Spain opportunities — with Mercedes in Berlin and the World Trade Economics Center in Savannah. She’s a member of the International Student Organization and a graduate of the Nick Mamalakis Class of 2015 Emerging Leaders Program. “I chose Armstrong because it combined all the elements Clara Perez Marcos has been a star player on the women’s I was looking for in a college: small class sizes and an tennis team at Armstrong since she was a freshman. The affordable but excellent education, all in the perfect setting bubbly young woman from Madrid, Spain, helped lead of Savannah, a charming southern city with rich history and the Pirates to national titles in 2012 and 2013. The team proximity to the beach.” fnished up last season ranked No. 2 in the nation, and She’s particularly passionate about economics and is Clara hopes to bring it back to No. 1 in 2015. considering enrolling in an MBA program and pursuing a Being part of a team sport gave her a ready-made career in business after she graduates from Armstrong. set of friends, but there were still challenges. She got Michelle currently serves as a research assistant for the hang of the language fairly quickly with on-campus Armstrong’s Economic Monitor, gathering important data tutoring, but mealtimes were especially perplexing. In about the latest economic trends affecting the Savannah area. Spain, lunch is usually served around 2 in the afternoon and dinner as late as 10 p.m. — quite different from the American way.

“Going to another continent is a big risk; you never know what you’re going to fnd,” Clara says. “Coming to Savannah, I found nice people trying to help me as much as they could!”

This Spanish athlete plans to take her sharpened language skills into a business internship and then a master’s degree program after she graduates. Ultimately, she hopes to work in a sports-related feld either in the U.S. or Europe. She’s been amazed at the support that Armstrong gives its international students, both fnancially and emotionally, by providing scholarships and social activities. “It’s a small school, which I like, but there’s always so much fun happening,” she raves. “I love meeting people from different places all over the world.”

FALL 2014 | 9 phenomenal faculty

Sara Plaspohl, Ph.D Coordinator of Master of Public Health Program and assistant professor of Health Sciences Teaching at Armstrong since: 1994 Best part of my job: “It’s fun to see students go out and do things, and then they come back and tell me about their experiences.”

ara Plaspohl’s love of mentoring and setting a positive example makes her the perfect Sembodiment of a teacher. “I’m just trying to make a difference and help students help themselves,” she says. Plaspohl is the program coordinator for the Master of Public Health program at Armstrong and has three degrees from Armstrong and a Doctor in Public Health from Georgia Southern University. Before joining Armstrong, she worked at Memorial Health University Medical Center as a Research Ethics Offcer, overseeing the Institutional Review Board process for more than 250 clinical trials. She believes in the importance of being a good role model. “A lot of what we learn from others is modeled behavior,” she says. “I want to instill that enthusiasm and inspire as our students learn about becoming a public health professional. When people care about you, you tend to step up and perform at a higher level.” Plaspohl is also the driving force behind the tobacco-free policy on Armstrong’s campus. Her doctoral dissertation assessed the policies of all tobacco-free schools in the United States, and that experience inspired her to lead Armstrong’s task force to research similar options. After receiving the information collected by the task force, Armstrong President Linda M. Bleicken enacted Armstrong’s tobacco-free policy in August 2012, a move Plaspohl calls “very gutsy.” In October 2014, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents banned tobacco at all public schools across the state.

“Armstrong took a leadership role in serving as a resource for our colleagues in the USG system as they worked to implement the newly mandated tobacco- free policy,” she says. “I’m thrilled to see the USG system go tobacco-free and know this decision will have a positive impact on the health of students, faculty and staff across the state.”

10 | armstrong.edu Michael Benjamin, Ph.D. Assistant professor of History Teaching at Armstrong since: 2009 Best part of my job: “The engagement with the students.”

ichael Benjamin, assistant professor of history at Armstrong, started his career as an Mattorney, serving as a successful civil litigator in Philadelphia. “My interest in history evolved over the years,” he explains. “I’ve always been interested in books as objects and artifacts.” This dedicated scholar decided to switch careers and return to school, earning an M.A. in the History of the Book in America, an M. Phil. in the Philosophy of History and a Ph.D. in Modern History and Literature from Drew University in Madison, N.J. He taught at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio, before joining the faculty at Armstrong fve years ago. In the classroom, Benjamin is an energetic professor who encourages students to think bigger and dig deeper in classes like Political and Constitutional History of Georgia and the United States, African-American History, Public History, Archival Methods, The Harlem Renaissance and Topics in African- American History. “I encourage a critical thinking approach and invite students to look at forces beneath the surface that contribute to our day-to-day experiences,” he says. This accomplished faculty member sees a number of parallels between practicing law and teaching history. “The practice of trial law, in certain aspects, is not unlike the work of a historian,” he explains. “Historians, like trial lawyers, are concerned with ‘evidence’ and use that evidence to form ‘arguments’ in an attempt to persuade others of their position.” Benjamin involves students in his ongoing research focusing on the Encyclopedia Africana and has a deep passion for African-American history. This summer, he presented a paper at the Université Paris-Sorbonne in France and conducted research in New York and Washington, D.C., but he feels most at home in the classroom at Armstrong, where he appreciates the rich diversity among the university’s student population.

“I love the students at Armstrong because they challenge me in a variety of ways,” he explains. “I often fnd myself serving as a mentor and providing models for career choices for students. I enjoy the interaction and the give and take. It’s very satisfying.”

FALL 2014 | 11 GREEN ZONE PROGRAM SUPPORTS VETERANS ON CAMPUS

By Brittany D. McClure

12 | armstrong.edu or many veterans, transitioning from the structured, demanding and sometimes dangerous life of the military to an academically focused college campus can F be diffcult.

Textbooks, notepads and laptops fll the duffe bags that extensive training is broken out into three phases. The once contained life’s necessities during deployment to a frst phase briefs the group on general information about combat zone. Some veterans feel out of place on campus, the program, while the second and third phases are more and many are searching for the camaraderie that came so hands-on. naturally in uniform. In February, the frst class of Green Zone volunteers Now, thanks to a Strategic Planning and Resource took a feld trip to Hunter Army Airfeld, where they had Council (SPARC) grant, veterans and active duty military at one-on-one interaction with soldiers, walked the fight line, Armstrong can turn to the Green Zone, a special program looked inside aircrafts and even trained with real weapons designed to provide locations and personnel recognized with simulated fre. by veterans as a safe place to aid in their transition from “They were able to experience a day in the life of a military to university and civilian life. soldier and, through simulation, were able to see soldiers in action in the desert,” Gore says. THE GREEN LIGHT At the end of the trip, Green Zone volunteers ate lunch In 2012, Armstrong Liberty Center director Pete Hoffman in the dining facility with a large group of soldiers who took had an idea to create a program that would assist veterans the time to share stories of their military experiences. in starting a new life as a student. The training typically wraps up with a three-hour As a retired U.S. Army colonel block of instruction, which at who dedicated 30 years of his previous sessions has included life to his country, Hoffman “ We wanted to make sure that we trained them speakers from Veteran’s knew frst-hand the challenges Heart Georgia, a nonproft civilian life can present. on the unique differences between veterans organization of veterans “If you look at where and traditional students,” Gore explains. “We and their families, healing Armstrong is located, it just professionals and concerned makes sense that we would want to help them understand what veterans citizens. be a center of excellence experience at a university and in civilian life.” for military education,” says SUCCESS AHEAD Hoffman. “There are more Since the Green Zone’s frst than 24,000 active-duty training session, the program military in our area, and as a state school, we should be has held two continuing education sessions, one of which a place where they could come, be comfortable and use took 12 Armstrong faculty and staff members on a feld trip their benefts.” to Fort Stewart and the Savannah Recruiting Command. He turned to the Green Zone program at Virginia “We are trying to get educators to see what soldiers do Commonwealth University for guidance. and promote the military environment,” Gore explains. “We contacted them and added our own twist to the The faculty toured the Army Education Center, program,” says Hoffman. Battalion Motor Pool, dining facility, Wynn Army Hospital Hoffman recruited Army Veteran Phil Gore to take and the Restoration Center. The next Green Zone training Green Zone off the ground at Armstrong, and soon Gore session is scheduled for this fall and already has 40 faculty became the military and veterans program coordinator for and staff on the list. the Armstrong Green Zone. Armstrong is now only one of a “In August, we started holding continuing education handful of other schools in the country offering some form sessions once a month and plan to hold Green Zone of the program. certifcation sessions once a semester,” Gore explains. “Armstrong Green Zone is becoming the model for IN THE ZONE military transition programs at other universities. At the end of the day, we don’t just want to be a military-friendly Green Zone held its frst training session for faculty and institution. We want to create a program that will serve as a staff on Feb. 19 with an attendance of 40 people and a model to help more veteran students and more institutions wait list of 17. The format of the Green Zone certifcation across the country.” sessions contributes to the program’s success. The

FALL 2014 | 13 ARMSTRONG ANNOUNCES 2014 Alumni Award Recipients

Armstrong hosted its frst-ever Alumni Awards Gala on Friday, Oct. 10, during Celebrate Armstrong Weekend. The gala attracted more than 250 alumni and included a black-tie optional dinner at the Armstrong Center. During the event, which benefts Armstrong scholarships, the Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to HunterMaclean attorney Drew Ernst, ‘74. The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes excellence in professional, community or public service. Ernst received a B.A. in Political Science in 1974 and is a longtime partner at HunterMaclean’s Savannah offce. He has practiced law for more than 30 years in the areas of environmental law, land use, commercial real estate development and industrial development. Robert Strozier, ’49 Armstrong Professor Emeritus Robert Strozier, ’49, received the Outstanding Alumni Award, which honors service to the university. Strozier attended Armstrong in the late 1940s and returned in 1955 as a Professor of Languages and Literature. He was named Outstanding Professor of the Year many times over the years, served as department head and established a math scholarship in memory of his daughter.

Drew Ernst, ’74

The Notable Alumni Award was presented to 15 individuals including:

Doug Andrews, Sr., ’69 Howard K. Cohen, ’54, ’72 M. Ann Levett, ’76 General Court-Martial Judge, Executive Director, Team Savannah Chief Academic Offcer, Savannah- U.S. Army, Retired Weightlifting Chatham Public Schools

Anne M. Bennett, ’93 Raymond Ellis, Jr., ’89 Joseph Purvis, Jr., ’76 Critical Care Clinical Nurse Choral and Drama Instructor, Director of Transportation, Specialist, Memorial University South Effngham High School and St. John’s County, Florida School Medical Center Middle School District; U.S. Army, Retired

Robert F. Brown, Jr., ’77, ’78 Kenya Harrison, ’10 Cathy J. Sakas, ’76, ’89 Founding Physician, Chatham Owner, KMH Educational Founder, Gray’s Reef Sanctuary Medical Associates Enterprises, LLC Foundation; Co-Founder, Ocean Exchange Richard Bunbury, ’77 Barbara Hubbard, ’82 Lecturer in Music, Lecturer, Armstrong State Scott Scheidt, ’03 Boston University University College of Education Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton; Commander, Georgia Garrison Jolene Byrne, ’05 Michael I. Kaplan, ’08 Training Center Instructor, Armstrong State CEO/Founder, University; School Board President, Phase 2 Advantage Edward I. Wexler, ’74 Savannah-Chatham County U.S. Air Force & Georgia Air Public Schools National Guard, Retired

14 | armstrong.edu amazing alumni By Jessica Leigh Lebos

M. Ann Levett, Ed.D. Chief Academic Offcer Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools B.S. in Speech and Language Pathology, ‘76

rmstrong graduate, M. Ann Levett worked her way through Armstrong as a ASouthern Bell telephone operator. “I had the headset, the whole works,” she laughs. Her advisors encouraged her to focus on what she wanted to accomplish, so she changed her major from English to Speech Pathology, focusing on the area of Special Education. After graduating from Armstrong, Levett went on to earn master’s degrees in Special Education and Public Administration from Georgia Southern University and an Ed.D. from the University of Georgia. After serving as a teacher and administrator in local school districts, she moved to higher education in Ohio and Connecticut. At Yale University School of Medicine, she served as executive director of the School Development Program, where she led a research group that focused on how to improve school environments, academic achievement and family engagement. Levett traveled across the country and around the world to implement her fndings. She returned to Georgia and became the dean of the School of Education at Macon State College, bringing many years of service in teacher preparation. “As I look back over my career, I think having a background in special education has shown me that all people are really the same,” she muses. “Culturally, there are differences, but basically all people want to be loved and cared for through a strong social network. Each has gifts to offer. The teacher’s job is to help unwrap those gifts.” Last fall, Levett had the opportunity to bring her experience full circle, becoming the chief academic offcer for Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools. Today, she works to provide the same strong foundation for others that public education provided for her. “That’s what a world class education does for you,” she says. “It teaches you how to survive, thrive and think for yourself.”

30 | armstrong.edu Armstrong prepares graduates to take on the Drew Ernst world. Please meet two exceptional alumni who Environmental Attorney are making a major impact in their chosen felds. HunterMaclean B.S. in Political Science, ‘74

s an environmental law attorney with HunterMaclean in Savannah for the past A37 years, Drew Ernst has brokered land use agreements that protect our local creeks and wildlife, while accommodating a fast- growing industrial and commercial sector. However, his career didn’t begin with a plan as detailed as the permits he helps obtain for clients like Crossroads Business Center and The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa. Instead, this Savannah native attended Armstrong after graduating from Jenkins High School, thinking he might like to practice real estate or become a doctor. “I took those aptitude tests, and one of them said I ought to be a preacher!” he laughs. “I knew that wasn’t quite right.” He fnally settled on political science as his chosen path as a way to effect change and infuence policy. “Academically, it was not a cakewalk at Armstrong,” he recalls. “My professors were very tough.” As a statistician for Armstrong’s basketball team and a representative in student government, Ernst enjoyed the university’s “big college feel on a small campus.” He considers his best day the time when he met an Armstrong nursing student named Kathy after a basketball game—they’ve been married for 38 years. Ernst went on to receive his law degree from the University of Georgia and then returned to Savannah in the late 1970s, where he had completed several internships with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under then- district regulatory chief Steven Osvald. It was an exciting time for development and industry, as well as a turning point for environmental legislation that would protect surrounding waterways. Ernst says his Armstrong education gave him the confdence to negotiate with multinational corporations, as well as to help with complex local developments like the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort on Hutchinson Island. “I learned how to work with people—and, of course, we had a whole lot of fun,” he smiles. “Armstrong has been a foundation that has served me well all of these years.”

FALL 2014 | 31 CLASS NOTES

1970s David Dorondo ‘80 has been awarded Women of Distinction. She teaches at the Creighton Sossomon Professorship Bloomingdale Elementary School in Richard Bunbury ‘77 is a lecturer in in History at Western Carolina University, Bloomingdale, Ga. music at Boston University. where he has been on the faculty since 1987. The professorship is for a three- Michael Brown ‘09 has been promoted Patricia Lang Corcoran ‘70 ‘79 MEd ‘85 year term. to the rank of captain in the U.S. Army. writes, “I love Armstrong! I have directed many of my students there with great Susan Harbin ‘80 has spent 34 years Marina Walp Byrd ‘01 earned a Doctor results. Your new advertising campaign is in the information technology industry, of Pharmacy degree from the University awesome, because it informs the locals including 19 years in the wireless of Maryland Eastern Shore on May 15. of what a jewel of a college we have industry. Jolene Burge Byrne ‘05 is an instructor here in Savannah.” Stephanie Cooper Howard ‘88 has of sociology at Savannah State Floyd Harbin ‘74 retired as a brigadier published a book, A Little Girl Named University. This summer, she was elected general from the Georgia Air National Morgan, about a child with Attention president of the Savannah-Chatham Guard after 38 years of service. Defcit Disorder. County Public Schools Board of Education. Michael J. Higgs ‘78 received his Charles Mangan ‘83 is the director of Doctorate in Public Administration from corporate security for AGL Resources, Jeff Cook ‘01 MS ‘03 was appointed as Valdosta State University on May 7. the largest natural gas distribution the pastor of Christ United Methodist Retiring from the Navy after 22 years, company in the United States. Church in Albany, Ga., in June. Michael joined the Federal Civil Service Derek W. McAleer ‘80 has been named Tosha Fowler played the title role in in 2001 and has twice received the Navy’s transitional director of administrative the Broadway in Chicago and Emerald second highest civilian service award. services for the South Georgia Annual City Theatre production of “Charlotte’s Michael and his wife, the former Kathleen Conference of The United Methodist Web,” July 11-Aug. 17. Brown ‘78, reside in Memphis, Tenn. Church. He was honored as the 2014 Public Relations, Development and Amanda Robinson Futtrell ‘06 and Harry Hunter, Jr. ‘75, a native of Marketing Professional of the Year by the husband, Preston Futrell ‘07, live in the Savannah, is currently a faculty member United Methodist Association in March. Savannah area, where she works as an in the University of Southern California’s occupational therapist at a local skilled School of Social Work/Virtual Academic Dellarie Shilling ‘83 has been appointed nursing facility. Preston recently joined Center. Hunter was recently elected to to the Georgia Board of Nursing by Gov. Gulfstream as a chemical and hazardous serve on the City of Detroit’s Brush Park Nathan Deal. A board-certifed family materials specialist. They have two Citizens’ District Council for a three- nurse practitioner, she is also an assistant children, Rosalie (3) and Hugh (1), with a year term ending on May 1, 2017. He professor of nursing at Georgia Southern new addition due in November. received the Spirit of Detroit Award for University. exceptional achievement, outstanding Darneatha Gailliard ‘07 ‘08 is a student leadership and dedication to improving 1990s success coach at Strayer University in the quality of life in Detroit. Virginia. Kerry Coursey ‘91 is a graduate of Carmel Williamson Sanders ‘78 is an Leadership Savannah’s Class of 2014. Stephen Gontz ‘01 was recently attorney with The Law Firm of Carmel W. appointed the new coordinator of Kathryn Haines Fernandez ‘95 Sanders in Macon. criminal justice and forensic sciences earned a Master of Science degree at Louisiana State University at Eunice. William Scarborough III ‘75 is in his 22nd in pharmaceutical sciences with a In addition, he was admitted into a year at the Securities and Exchange concentration in forensic science from doctoral program in criminal justice with a Commission in Washington, D.C., where the University of Florida on May 5. concentration in emergency management he is an associate chief accountant in Andrea Graff Madison ‘96 MS ‘00 was and policy. He and wife Maria have three the enforcement division investigating one of 24 Georgia teachers to receive a children: Nicole (19), Brittany (16) and fnancial fraud. He is also in his second Master Teacher certifcation from Gov. Logan (12). Stephen recently returned year of law school at the David A. Clarke Nathan Deal in 2014. Coordinated by from a year-long deployment with the School of Law at the University of the the Georgia Professional Standards Louisiana Army National Guard to District of Columbia. Commission, the certifcation is based Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. on demonstrated excellence in student Rose Grant-Robinson ‘01 is a senior 1980s achievement and student growth. legal victims advocate with the Savannah Michael Barker ‘84 has been named Nick Mueller ‘93 and wife, Tracy Area Family Emergency Shelter. On Magistrate of the Year by his peers Barrenbrugge Mueller ‘93, have opened May 7, she received the 2014 Liberty across the State of Georgia. He has been a bed and breakfast, The Sugar House, in Bell Award from the Savannah Bar a Magistrate Court Judge in Chatham Guyton. They also operate The Laughing Association. She was previously named County for more than 10 years. Boar Restaurant and Cakes by Tracy. the 2012 Georgia Advocate of the Year by the Georgia Commission on Family Charlie Broad ‘88, Bill Gearhart ‘88 2000s Violence. and Mike Mitchener ‘90 were named to the Big South All-Decade Baseball Catherine Argrow Cummings ‘08 Bronwyn Harper ‘09 has been accepted Team for their performance as Pirates MAT ‘11 was named one of the Girl into the graduate program at Michigan in the 1980s. Scouts of Historic Georgia’s 2014 State University, where she will work

32 | armstrong.edu on certifcates in immunodiagnostics, Melody Rodríguez ‘00 MEd ‘03 received Lisa Co ‘14 is a gallery docent at clinical fow cytometry and molecular the 2014 Savannah Women Who Rock Armstrong. laboratory diagnostics. Award from the Global Women’s Summit on March 8. Seana Corbett ‘10 graduated with a Jamaal Hill ‘09 is the regional director master’s degree in optometry from the of youth development for the YMCA of Kendra Keenan Seagraves ‘05 recently University of Alabama at Birmingham Florida’s First Coast in St. Augustine, Fla. earned a Master of Science in Nursing in May. She is an intern at EnVision Eye degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner Care in Savannah. Anita Griffn Howard ‘03 has been from Georgia Southern University. named the women’s basketball coach at Joseph DiNatale ‘14 is pursuing a Livingstone College in Salisbury, N.C. Kelly Silverman ‘04 wrote and directed master’s degree in mathematics at the short flm, “Too Late Now,” which Georgia Southern University. Patrick Jarrett ‘05 is a founding attorney was screened March 9 at the RXSM V with Jarrett & Price LLC in Savannah. Self Medicated Film Expo in Austin, Ryan Groom ‘12 is a teaching assistant Texas. and research assistant in the Chemistry James Kopp ‘00 has been promoted and Biochemistry Department at Florida to chief parole offcer in Statesboro. Lisa Tyler ‘06 works at Winn Army State University, where he is a graduate He previously served as assistant chief Community Hospital at Fort Stewart in student studying solid state inorganic parole offcer in Savannah. Hinesville, taking care of our nation’s chemistry, utilizing fux methods for heroes. She previously worked in general exploratory synthesis of metal sulfdes. Marleen Kraaijenzank has a new job as a pediatrics at Memorial Health University sales and service agent with a specialty Medical Center from 2006-2011 and at Maunalee Hashemi ‘13 received the in communications at Solog Strand (Sun Pediatric Associates of Savannah from Best Local Radio Personality award and Beach) in Aalborg, Denmark. 2011-2014. from Connect Savannah for her work on the Morning Showgram on Bob 106.9, Quentin Marlin ‘04 was elected as a Rodrick Williams ‘01 is the new head of where she formerly worked. partner at the Savannah law frm of the football program at Claxton High Ellis, Painter, Ratterree & Adams, LLP in School in Claxton, Ga., where he had Joshua Hill ‘14 has been accepted February 2014. He practices in the areas worked previously as a line coach and into the Master of Science program in of banking, business, real estate and defensive coordinator. confict management at Kennesaw State construction litigation. University in Kennesaw, Ga. 2010s Caitlin McNeill Hillard ’13 lives in Ashley Mason ‘07 has been accepted Katherine Alt ‘12 is the executive Wilmington, N.C., where she is a graphic into the Teach for America program. She assistant to the director at Telfair designer at N2 Publishing. will teach third grade at Eagle College Museums in Savannah. Prep School in Phoenix, Ariz. Brittany Hodges ‘11 is a management Kevyn Arnott ‘10 is a principal digital trainee at ITT Technical Institute in Mac McCusker ‘02 had a solo designer with Capital One in San Aurora, Colo. ceramics exhibition, “Big Game,” at the Francisco. City of Savannah’s Gallery S.P.A.C.E. in Chaunte’ Kettles ‘14 is a medical August and September. Ethan Bader ‘14 has been signed to offce assistant at Memorial Health in pitch for the River City Rascals, the Savannah. Amber Williams Moseley ‘08 is a human Frontier League baseball team in resources payroll and benefts specialist O’Fallon, Mo. He is the ffth Pirate to Shanice King ‘12 is engaged to Antonio with ADP in Augusta, Ga. play for the Rascals. Shyne Solomon. She is a teacher in the Savannah-Chatham County Public School Michael Nestor ‘06 is the new director of Matt Bush DPT ‘12 recently participated System’s Flexible Learning Program. bands at Savannah Arts Academy. in a professional exchange, where he and other U.S. Navy physical therapists Felicia Lowman ‘12 is working on an Daniela Salas O’Connell ‘05 and provided services to local patients at MFA in writing at Savannah College husband, Daniel O’Connor, welcomed a The Veterans International Cambodia of Art and Design. She says, “If I had baby girl, Eva Sofa, on Jan. 27. clinic, which serves war victims who are not gone to Armstrong and gotten marginalized due to poverty. the support from my classmates and Chizoba Okeke ‘06 is a senior program professors, none of this would be manager at EMC. David Carter ‘13 has been accepted into possible.” the Master of Health Sciences program Candace Cox Purdom MEd ‘09 is an in occupational therapy at Georgia Clayton Miller ‘14 has been signed to exceptional child teacher with Savannah- Regents University. play for the Arizona Giants, part of the Chatham County Public Schools. San Francisco Giants organization. He Stephen Clark DPT ‘13 is a physical played catcher for Armstrong’s baseball Kirbi McGahee Ratner ‘05 MEd ‘06 was therapist at Texas Physical Therapy team for four years. one of 24 Georgia teachers to receive Specialists in Selma, Texas. a “Master Teacher” certifcation from Rachael Mitchell MPH ‘12 served as Gov. Nathan Deal in 2014. Coordinated James Climes ‘14 is being a private sector advisor on the U.S. by the Georgia Professional Standards commissioned as a second lieutenant Delegation to the 67th World Health Commission, the certifcation is based in the U.S. Army. After further training, Assembly in Geneva from May 19-24. on demonstrated excellence in student he will report for duty at Fort Jackson in She is a doctoral student at Loma Linda achievement and student growth. Columbia, S.C. University in California.

FALL 2014 | 33 CLASS NOTES

Mark Mizelle MAT ‘13 is teaching eighth Maria del Mar Tovar ‘12 has been Stephen Clark DPT ‘13 married Danielle grade Georgia studies at the STEM hired as a communications manager at Farthing DPT ‘14 on the beach at Tybee Academy at Bartlett in Oldcastle in Atlanta. Island on May 8. Savannah. Kristy Roberts Walker ‘10 teaches Shelby Duff ‘14 married Joseph Jason Oliveira MEd ‘12 is a student pre-K in a Title 1 magnet school in Snooks II ‘14 in Statesboro on May 31. success advisor at the Savannah College Jacksonville, Fla. of Art and Design. Josh Felice ‘10 married Ashley Caralea Wilson ‘12 has been hired Frasca in Biloxi Beach on June 10. Kayley Ralton ‘10 MS ‘13 has been as a production manager at Campus named assistant women’s soccer coach Banner + Design in Clemson, S.C. She is Brett Hillard ’12 married Caitlin at Armstrong. working on a Master of Science degree McNeill on Sept. 12. in graphic communication at Clemson Dianne Miller ‘04 married Karrol Madelyn Roush ‘13 has been accepted University. into the pharmacy school at the Johnson in McDonough, Ga., on June 9. University of Florida to pursue a master’s Brian Wood ‘14 writes, “I obtained my Hollie Blair Salter ‘13 married degree in forensic drug chemistry. certifcation of cyber forensic examiner Christopher Morgan Ellington at while interning at Armstrong’s police Southern Bridle Farms in Fort Valley, Hollie Blair Salter ‘13 is a radiologic department. This certifcation alone has Ga., on April 12. technologist at St. Joseph’s/Candler opened many doors for me in the feld in Savannah and Beaufort Memorial of criminal justice. I’m currently being Kristy Roberts Walker ‘10 Hospital in Beaufort, S.C. married vetted for U.S. Customs and plan on Lucas Walker in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., being at the top of my class.” Kara Simmons ‘11 MPH ‘13 has on June 13. accepted a position as a health educator Marriages working with adolescent youth for the Births Coastal Health District in Savannah. Laura Clark Chan ‘86 MSN ‘01 married Jessica Waldron Thompson ‘07 and her Richard Donald “Donnie” Wood, Jr., a husband Matt welcomed their second Cailey Sparks ‘14 is a traffc coordinator widower and 30-year retired Navy vet, daughter, Adaline, on April 30. assistant at L&L Broadcasting in on March 15. Savannah.

In Memoriam William Belford ‘76, August 11, 2014 Louise Vaughn Lauretti ‘11, September 21, 2014 Randall C. Bishop ‘79, July 1, 2014 Glenda Harriet Taylor Lax ‘50, March 2, 2014 George D. Boring ‘68, April 21, 2014 Eugene McCracken, Esq. ‘52, March 5, 2014 Douglas William Boulware attended 1968, March 16, 2014 Jimmy Lynn Mitchell ‘83, May 8, 2014 Mary Dewberry Brooks ‘70, August 2, 2014 Elizabeth “Bettye” Morekis ‘54, July 7, 2014 William W. Brown, Jr. ‘73, April 10, 2014 Edward H. Morgan ‘37, April 2, 2014 Anita F. Collins ‘69, August 6, 2014 Edward M. Moultrie, Jr. ‘91, March 23, 2014 Marie Lyons Crider ‘44, May 25, 2014 Holly Susan Heller Mruz attended ‘73, May 9, 2014 Janis Kistler Doye ‘70, May 10, 2014 Robert L. Murphy, Jr. ‘87, April 6. 2014 Vickie Riddle Erskine ‘76, July 20, 2014 Robert William Patterson ‘83, July 12, 2014 David E. Foye, Sr. ‘74, August 12, 2014 Rev. Gary B. Quinney ‘91, April 10, 2014 Erwin A. Friedman ‘50, March 5, 2014 Irvin Rubnitz ‘83, May 17, 2014 Jeannette E. Glynn ‘46, February 2, 2014 Dorothy Satterfeld ‘71, April 21, 2014 Mary Oppen Harris ‘43, April 25, 2014 Richard Alan Segall ‘69, March 7, 2014 Beverly Nutting Hatch ‘73, May 28, 2014 Edwin C. Shepherd, Sr. ‘41, May 30, 2014 Judge James Wesley Head ‘50, June 9, 2014 Ida Frances Cottingham Traxler ‘43, ‘83, April 13, 2014 Colonel Arthur L. Holmes, Jr. (Ret.) ‘76, August 14, 2014 Patricia S. Tyson ‘97, May 19, 2014 Arthur Wesley Howe ‘56 and ‘84, April 18, 2014 Dianne H. Walker ‘73, May 12, 2014 Dixie S. Hubbard ‘95, May 12, 2014 Gloria Kicklighter Warren ‘43, June 13, 2014 Michael Tyson Joyner, Sr. ‘70, July 25, 2014 Gregory Eugene Weeks ‘88, August 16, 2014 Linda Cubbedge Langston ‘72, August 18, 2014 Thomas “Tommy” Franklin WIlliams ‘80, June 24, 2014

34 | armstrong.edu armstrong fashback

Did you know? Armstrong welcomed actor Burt Reynolds to campus for a special ribbon cutting in 1975. While in Savannah flming the movie Gator, Reynolds dedicated the new Fine Arts Building at Armstrong. Reynolds confessed that he had never participated in the opening of a college building before.

Photo from Lane Library Archives FALL 2014 | 35 Non-Proft U.S. Postage Offce of Advancement PAID Armstrong State University Savannah, GA 11935 Abercorn Street Permit No. 380 Savannah, Georgia 31419-1997

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